MS Oujda
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = File:Pride of Hampshire.jpg | Ship caption = Pride of Hampshire departing from Portsmouth }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship name =*Viking Venturer (1974-1989)
| Ship owner =*European Ferries (1974-1987)
| Ship operator = | Ship registry =*{{flag|Panama}}
| Ship route = | Ship ordered = | Ship builder = Aalborg Værft AS {{cite web|url=http://www.shipphotos.co.uk/pages/prideofhampshire2.htm|title=Ship Photos - Pride of Hampshire - [IMO7358286] - [2]|author=www.shipphotos.co.uk|accessdate=2 January 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222004648/http://www.shipphotos.co.uk/pages/prideofhampshire2.htm|archivedate=22 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.robindesbois.org/english/shipbreaking19.pdf|title=Ship-breaking.com|issue=19|page=16|publisher=Robindesbois.org|accessdate=2 January 2015}} | Ship original cost = | Ship yard number = | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = | Ship completed = | Ship christened = | Ship acquired = | Ship maiden voyage = | Ship in service = | Ship out of service = 2010 {{cite web|url=http://marine.rina.org/_files/pdf/class_susp/class_susp_withdr_march_2010.pdf|title=Entry to say the vessel has been withdrawn from service|publisher=Marine.rina.org|accessdate=2 January 2015}} | Ship identification = {{IMO Number|7358286}} | Ship fate = Scrapped early 2010 | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = (Original) | Ship class = | Ship tonnage = 6,387 | Ship displacement = | Ship length = 128.71 m | Ship beam = 19.81 m | Ship height = | Ship draught = 4.53 m | Ship draft = | Ship depth = | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship sail plan = | Ship power = | Ship propulsion = Två Werkspoor 8TM410, En 9TM410 diesel | Ship speed = 18 knots | Ship capacity =*1,200 passengers
| Ship crew = | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = (Extended) | Ship class = | Ship tonnage = 14,760 Gross tons | Ship displacement = | Ship height = | Ship draught = 5.05 m | Ship draft = | Ship depth = | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship sail plan = | Ship power = | Ship propulsion = Två Werkspoor 8TM410, En 9TM410 diesel | Ship speed = 18 knots | Ship capacity =*1,316 passengers
| Ship crew = | Ship notes = }} |
MS Oujda was a roll-on/roll off ferry built as Viking Venturer by Aalborg Værft AS in 1974 for Townsend Thoresen.
History
Viking Venturer was initially put into service on the route from Southampton to Le Havre then latterly Portsmouth to Cherbourg. She was sold to P&O European Ferries and renamed Pride of Hampshire. With the takeover of Townsend Thoresen by P&O, and the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise in 1987, P&O wanted to drop the Townsend Thoresen name and the ship names associated with the company. She was repainted from her Townsend Thoresen orange and white livery to the new P&O blue and white, the TT logo on her funnel replaced by the P&O house flag.{{cite web|url=http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/V_Venturer.html|title=Viking Venturer - Pride of Hampshire - Pride of El Salam 2 - Townsend Thoresen Ferry Photographs - Ferry Postcards|publisher=Simplonpc.co.uk|accessdate=2 January 2015}} Townsend Thoresen became P&O European Ferries and in 1989 Viking Venturer became Pride of Hampshire. She continued to sail under that name until 2002.
She was transferred to the Portsmouth-Cherbourg route in 1994 as a result of larger vessels Pride of Le Havre & {{MS|Pride of Portsmouth||2}} being chartered for the Le Havre route.
In 1986, the ship was taken to Bremerhaven for "jumboisation", which added an extra deck to the ship, making it appear comparatively top heavy.
She was sold in 2002 after 27 years service on the English Channel. At the time she, was the eldest cross-channel ferry sailing from the United Kingdom.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}}
Her new owner, El Salam Maritime, renamed her the Pride of Al Salam 2 then latterly Oujda sailing between Sète and Nador in her final days with a Panama flag.
Sister ships
Viking Venturer was one of four sister ships ordered by Townsend Thoresen.
The other three were:
- {{MS|Viking Valiant||2}} - later the Pride of Cherbourg 2, then Mogador and was scrapped in May 2010.
- {{MS|Viking Voyager||2}} - later Pride of Cherbourg 1, now Samothraki.
- Viking Viscount - later Pride of Winchester, now Vitsentzos Kornaros.
References
=Notes=
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book|last1=Cowsill|first1=Miles|last2=Hendy|first2=John|title=Remembering the Thoresen Vikings: Townsend Thoresen trend setters|date=2007|publisher=Ferry Publications|location=Ramsey, Isle of Man|isbn=978-1871947731}}
{{refend}}
External links
- [http://hhvferry.com/blog/?tag=pride-of-hampshire From the scrapyard Oujda (blog)]
- [http://uglyships.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/pride-of-hampshire/ 'Uglyships.wordpress.com' Pride of Hampshire]
- [http://www.hhvferry.com/oujda_06_1.html An account of a Sète - Nador crossing in September 2006]
{{P&O ships|ferries=no|portsmouth=no|stena=no|north=no|irish=no|pandoro=no}}
{{European Ferries ships}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oujda}}